ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY for him and his suite ^ show that a certain number of Norfolk parsons who formed part of it were also absent from their parishes on these occasions. The employment of the king's clerks as parish priests led sometimes to curious complications as the result of a prolonged absence. The presentation of Richard de Estdene to the church of All Saints', Warham, 5 July, 13 14, had to be revoked two months later, because it was found that the rector, Richard de Aston, was still alive, though detained in prison in Scotland.^ In I 3 15 the appointment of William de Neupoi-t, king's clerk, to the church of Giselham, was revoked when it was found that the parson, John de Notting- ham, was alive ;* and a similar revocation took place in 1305 when it was discovered that Richard de Overton, rector, was alive, at the time that Master Walter de London was presented to Bramerton.* The Calendar of Papal Letters shows many examples in Norfolk of the plurality against which the bull Execrabilis of 13 17 was directed. Dispensa- tions were frequently granted for non-residence, and the bishop also received indults to grant dispensations to a certain number of his clerks to hold benefices although under age. Of the many licences of non-residence for five years at a time,^ it was only in some of the cases that permission was qualified by the condition that this should be used for the purpose of studying at a university. The very frequent occurrence of dispensations to hold more than one benefice after the date of the bull seems to show that its aim was rather the regulation than the abolition of plurality. Numerous instances occur of dispensations on account of illegitimacy of birth and other irregularities. In spite of a certain amount of absenteeism, which the appointment of king's clerks must have entailed, their employment cannot have been altogether a disadvantage, as it secured a certain standard of education and experience of affairs on the part of the parson, and it must be remembered that the number of benefices in Norfolk was very large, and that the number of clergy in the diocese greatly exceeded the number of benefices. The dispen- sation granted at the request of the king to Simon de Briselee,' dean of Lichfield, and rector of Tunstead, in 1348, to receive the profits of his bene- fices for five years while studying civil and canon law, and in consideration of his having been imprisoned in Germany by brigands and held to a ransom of 3,100 gold crowns on his return from the Roman court, to take the emolu- ments of his deanery as if he were resident, gives a picture of an adven- turous as well as varied career, and suggests that a high money value was set on his services. The case of the rector, William de Saham,^ subdeacon, who held the benefices of Tykye and Morley, as well as Kirby Wiske (Yorks.) and King's Clere (Winchester) in 1291, without papal dispensation, 'which has given him a scruple of conscience, in consideration of the circumstance that he, being now aged, has spent all his life in the royal service,' and who received a dispensation on condition that he should be ordained priest and give a portion of the fruits to the said churches, was evidently somewhat ' Pat. I Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 21 ; 4 EJw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 1 1 ; 6 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 4 ; 17 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. I. ' Pat. 8 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 26. ' Ibid. pt. ii, m. 29. * Ibid. 33 Edw. I, pt. ii, m. 23. ^ Cat. Papal Letters, ii, 54 and 142. The case of Bernard Exii de Lebreto as a pluralist is perhaps an exception ; ibid. 47, 51, 80. « Cat. Papal Petitions, i, 142, 177. ' Cal. Papal Letters, i, 545. 239
